On the evening of May 29th, Upward Bound seniors and their families gathered at the Gillespie Conference Center at St. Mary's to celebrate the students' successful completion of the Upward Bound Program. When students and families arrived at the banquet hall, there was a slideshow of the students' senior photos including their intended majors and selected colleges/universities. All in attendance enjoyed seeing where each Upward Bound student would be headed in the fall to continue their education. After a lovely meal, Upward Bound staff members gave brief remarks. Claire Kucela, Upward Bound Program Coordinator, remarked on the growth of each student during their four years in the program. She thanked the students for their commitment to the program, amidst all their other responsibilities at home and school. Miss Kucela also acknowledged the importance of the parents' support for their students and for the program; "Without parents, who bring their students to programming, ask them questions, and push them to succeed, Upward Bound would not be successful." Rafael Marin, the Associate Director of Upward Bound, encouraged the students to learn from every experience and to continue pursuing their goals. Mr. Marin reminded the students of the importance of asking for help, in college and beyond. After the remarks, each student was called forward by name to receive a certificate acknowledging their completion of the Upward Bound Program, as well as blue and gold cords to wear at their upcoming graduation ceremonies. Students also received Upward Bound t-shirts commemorating the Class of 2024 and a TRIO Upward Bound backpack filled with school supplies to take with them to college. The evening concluded with photos taken on the patio outside the banquet hall. One student insisted on taking a photo with each staff member and her grandmother stating that these were all the people who always encouraged her to finish high school and go to college. In the words of TRIO Programs Executive Director, Roxanne Gregg, in her closing remarks for the Upward Bound Senior Celebration, "TRIO Works!"
See more photos of this event in this Flickr album